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View Full Version : How many rounds to loosen up a Benelli M4


goodoleboy
09-23-12, 19:55
I did a forum search for a buddy of mine I went shooting with today. He just purchased a new M4 Benelli and had some problems at the range today. He was shooting low velocity bird loads and it would fail to feed about every 3rd-4th round. He got upset and said that he was going to take it back. After much deliberation, I opted not to offer him a couple of hundred dollars for it ;) (what can I say, honesty hurts some times). I told him I believed it was the ammo's fault and not the gun's. I had a box of high velocity #5 loads I dug out of the tool box and I let him run a few tubes of it through his gun and it ran without a hitch. I found a few threads on the forum about the topic, but break-in periods varied between 50 rounds and 1,000 rounds of high velocity buck and slug loads.

What would be a reasonable figure to tell him to break it in? Will a shotgun such as this ever run low veloity bird loads reliably?
kmrtnsn
09-23-12, 20:41
My M4 loathed being run dry when new. It also needed about four boxes of full power #4 buck to break it in. It'll fire about anything now without a hiccup.
platoonDaddy
09-24-12, 11:27
Threw combination of about 300 rounds of buckshot, slugs, birdshot downrange. Now it will shoot anything without any issues, even 1oz #8's for trap.
MadAngler1
09-24-12, 22:46
I had zero issues with my Benelli M4 out of the box. Before I shot it, I stripped it down, and I took care to lubricate the bolt, bolt carrier, chamber, bore and the inside of the receiver with some Slip 2000 EWL. Ran like a charm with either birdshot (size 8, 1-1/8 oz loads) and buckshot.

I still clean it and lubricate it after each time I shoot without any issues. I've never had a malfunction at all after 400 rounds (I don't get to shoot it enough :sad: ).
BMWguy206
09-25-12, 00:08
I think it took me about 100 rounds.
sjc3081
09-25-12, 05:30
If I remember correctly I broke it my M4 with 50 rounds of Winchester 2.75inch slugs. I lubed the gun with the supplied Factory lube and never have a malfunction.
kmrtnsn
09-25-12, 08:48
OP, remind your friend that the M4 is a combat shotgun and not a skeet gun or a quail gun and was not designed for those light loads. Once broken in it may fire them but it was designed to function reliably with full power buck and slug loads.
Alaskapopo
09-25-12, 13:33
For semi auto shotguns my general rule of thumb is 3 dram loads with 1 1/8 ounce of shot. My M2 does fine with 2 3/4 dram loads but every semi I have ever owned has run on 3 dram 1 1/8 ounce of shot.
Pat
goodoleboy
09-25-12, 19:00
I'll pass the info on to him. I have no idea how extensive he cleaned it prior to taking it out to test it. I told him that those light loads were probably to blame and that he had a combat shotgun, designed to shoot fairly hot loads for its extended service life. Thanks for the info, he'll be pleased to hear that a couple of hundred rounds of high-speed loads will fix the problem. Thanks again.
kwesi
09-26-12, 23:32
For semi auto shotguns my general rule of thumb is 3 dram loads with 1 1/8 ounce of shot. My M2 does fine with 2 3/4 dram loads but every semi I have ever owned has run on 3 dram 1 1/8 ounce of shot.
Pat

I contacted Benelli shortly after getting an M2 SBS. I was told to break her in on 3 dram 1 1/8oz loads. Appx. 150 rounds. Even after 150 rounds of hot military green hull & Fed Tactical 00 LE full power (flawless) she did not like Fiocchi 00 full power. The last rounds I then tested were Federal Bulk #7 1/2 and all ran perfect.
rodinal220
09-28-12, 07:54
I have both a M1S90 and a M4S90.Benelli's typically do not like light loads.If your trying to run trap or CAS type loadings you may get some cycling issues.
My guns run on wally world 100rd bulk pack no problem.S&B 00 buck runs fine but is a bit sluggish.Benellis like full power service or duck and goose power level loads,not powder puff loads.
The "tactical" loads were designed for pump guns to lessen recoil,not good for most auto loaders,especially Benelli inertia guns,the M4 A.R.G.O doesn't like them too much either.

Clean and lubricate the weapon properly.While the Benelli is one of those guns that seems to "tolerate" running dry or with "minimal" lube,you should still lube the weapon and don't be stingy.

Run full power buckshot and slugs and the inertia or M4 gas system should run with wally loads,tho some say they have had issues with promo stuff.Clean it,lube it.
KarbonChemist
10-05-12, 16:12
M1super 90 and my SV took a few boxes of 3inch mags to work the spring up...then any trap load would cycle. before that both guns struggled with light loads.
trackmagic
10-19-12, 22:51
Sounds like the ammo to me... The benellis do not like skeet loads. The do not have enough recoil to operate the inertial system. I have had this issue a long time ago with my m1 and now I stick to game loads and never have issues.
Alaskapopo
10-20-12, 01:58
Sounds like the ammo to me... The benellis do not like skeet loads. The do not have enough recoil to operate the inertial system. I have had this issue a long time ago with my m1 and now I stick to game loads and never have issues.

First off the M4 does not have an inertia system its a gas system. The M1 and M2 have an inertia system. Secondly they work fine with skeet loads just not the very lightest unless you modify your gun. My Benelli M2 runs just fine on 2 3/4 dram shells with 1 1/8 ounce of shot.
Pat
trackmagic
10-20-12, 04:09
I stand corrected
WS6
12-04-12, 02:10
Numerous Benelli M4's and an M1014. I have started most out running lightweight 2.75 dram skeet loads. They work fine. Hold it tight, lubricate it like an AR, and it's G2G.
ApexAchilles
12-05-12, 17:37
My M4 loathed being run dry when new. It also needed about four boxes of full power #4 buck to break it in. It'll fire about anything now without a hiccup.

Are the M4s supposed to run dry?
kmrtnsn
12-05-12, 23:14
Are the M4s supposed to run dry?

Who knows what they recommend, all I know is that most mechanical devices run better well lubricated.
rundm
12-23-12, 03:27
My m4sbs doesn't care what you put in it although mostly see's a diet of hvy loads. My full size m4 does not like the light stuff much at all and will have a hiccup or so out of a full tube. You run a little heavier stuff through her and she will put them down range all day without problems. I love those shotties. On the sbs, I ran the winchester slugs through her for the first 150-200 rounds or so before I started shooting any of the lighter loads.
hotbiggun42
12-25-12, 16:39
I had a M3 that had feed issues. I paid a lot of money just to be told it was a ammo and break in issue. I sold the dang thing.
Very overrated IMO.